This section introduces aspects that may help facilitate a better understanding of the disclosure. Accordingly, these statements are to be read in this light and are not to be understood as admissions about what is or is not prior art.
Resistive random-access memory (RRAM)-based technology has gained attention of the semiconductor industry and researchers working at the forefront of emerging technologies due to its potential scalability, high operation speed, high endurance and ease of process flow. RRAM devices are typically two-terminal cells whose operation are based on changing the resistive state of an internal element to thereby store information in a nonvolatile fashion by applying a sufficiently high voltage or by driving a large enough current through the cell.
Typically, two types of switching mechanisms are distinguished in RRAM devices. According to one type, valence change memory (VCM), oxide-based resistive random-access memory cells follow a resistive switching mechanism in which a cluster of localized valence changes lead to formation of a filament from a high resistive state to a low resistive state resulting in the electromigration of induced anions which modifies the valence states of the cations. According to another type, RRAM devices operating based on the electrochemical metallization rely on the anodic dissolution (oxidation) of an active metal electrode and electrodeposition (reduction) of the metal ions inside the active switching material.
However, the observed RRAM behavior in both of the above described instances involves an uncontrollable movement of individual atoms. Accordingly, reliability aspects represent a substantial challenge.
Therefore, there is an unmet need in the art for a new switching mechanism that can be used in RRAM cells and systems.